Grain-door.



PATENTED MAR. 27, 1906.

E. A. HILL.

GRAIN DOOR.

APPLIOATION rum) JAN. 20, 1904.

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PATENTED MAR. 27, 1906.

E. A. HILL. GRAIN DOOR, APPLICATION FILED JAN. 20, 1904.

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No. 816,230. PATENTED MAR. 27, 1906. E. A. HILL.

GRAIN DOOR.

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NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDIVARD A. HILL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS; ASSIGNOR TO CHICAGO GRAIN DOORCOMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

GRAIN-DOOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 27, 1906.

Application filed January 20,1904. Serial No. 189,930.

T0 all who/1t it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD A. HILL, a citizen of the Un'ted States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Grain-Doors, of whichthe followfng is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in doors for grain-cars.

As is well known, the tendency of late years has been to increase thesize, and therefore the capacity, of fre ght-cars of all kinds. This hasbeen quite as true as to cars for carrying grain as well as for othercars. With increasing the graln-carrying capacity of a car there hascome a necessity for us'ng larger doors for retaining the grain in thecar. Owing to the great pressure of the body of the gran in the car andowing also to the rough treatment to which these docrs are subjected,these doors must be very stoutly made, and consequently are made ofheavy lumber strongly reinforced or battened. The result ES that thesedoors at best are heavy and unwieldly, and with the increased size thathas been called for laterally it is practically impossible to handlethese doors unless they are made in sections.

I amaware that grain-doors have been made in sections in variousmanners, and therefore do not broadly claim a sectional grain-door.

The primary object of my invention, however, is to provide a stout andheavy graindoor made in sections so assembled that each section may atthe will of the operator be separately operated or may be so firmlyunited to the other section as to form, in effect, a single continuousdoor. At the same time my improved door is so constructed that the twoseparable sections are independently mounted upon the same guiding meansand are separately provided with means whereby they may be firmlysecured under the roof of the car when the car is not being used forgraincarrying purposes. These and such other objects as may hereinafterappear are attained by the devices shown in the accompanying drawings,in-which Figure 1 is an elevation of my improved door and part of afreight-car looking from the interior of the car outwardly. Fig. 2 is asim lar view looking toward the door from the outside of the car. Fig. 3is a transverse section through the car and door. Fig. 3 is a detail ofFig. 3. Figs. 4 and 5 are sectional details. Fig. 6 is a detail of asupportinghook supporting the lower edge of the main door beneath theroof of the car. Fig. 6 is another detail of same. Fig. 7 is aperspective view of the supporting-hook shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is ahorizontal section of a door-post, guide-rod, door-section, andconnecting means. Fig. 9 is a front elevation of the parts shown in Fig.8. Fig. 10 is a detail of the locking-hook for securing the sections ofthe door to each other. Fig. 11 is another view of the same parts. Fig.12 is an elevation in detail of a door-supporting hook. Fig. 13 is adetaFl of a hinge-hook mounted upon one of the sections of the door.Fig. 14 is an elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 13. Fig. 15 is avertical section through the reliefdoor. Fig. 16 is a transversesectional view of the parts shown in Fig. 15. Fig. 17 is a verticalsection with the upper door-section elevated, and Fig. 18 is anelevation of Fig. 17.

Like numerals of reference indicate the same parts in the severalfigures of the drawmgs.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, 1 indicates the side sheathingof a car. At each side of the door-opening are arranged the door-posts2. Arranged upon the doorposts 2 are the guide-rods 3, which are of afamiliar type and are partly or wholly contained within rabbets 4,formed in the faces of the door-posts.

5 is the lower section of the door, which, as

shown, is formed of heavy boards which are held together by a frameworkof battens 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. Mounted upon the upper corners of thedoor-section 5 are hinge-plates 11, carrying guide-pins 12, pivotallymounted in the hinge-plates 11 and provided with angularly-extendingheads having eyes through which the guide-rods 3 pass. Mounted upon theguide-rods 3 and resting upon the upper edge of the lower door-section 5is the upper door-section 13, which, as shown, is formed of boards heldtogether by transverse battens 14 and 15.

In the preferred arrangement shown in the drawings the central verticalbatten 10 on the lower door-section 5 projects upwardly above the upperedge of the door-section 5, while the battens 1 1 and 15 projectdownwardly below the lower edge of the upper door-section 13, so thatwith the parts assembled as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the two door-sectionsare interlocked and braced together by the projecting ends of theirrespective battens. The door-sections are further secured to each otherby means of eyes 16, secured to one of the sections, and cam-hooks 17,secured to the other of said sections in such a manner that each of saidcam-hooks is arranged to engage one of said eyes, and in being lockedtherewith will draw the two door-sections tightly together so as to, ineffect, constitute but a single door.

Arranged at the upper corners of the upper door-section 13 are fixtures18. These fixtures 18 project outwardly from the door-section 13 and areprovided with eyes preferably arranged axially opposite the guide-rods3, formed, preferably, as shown in Fig. 8to wit, that side of the eyewhich is nearest to .the door-post is straight or flat, so as to allow afreer play therein of the link 19. Each of the eyes is provided with oneof these links 19, which, as shown, is short and substantially round andis in turn loosely connected with an elongated link 20, which slidablyengages a guide-rod 3. With this arrangement when the hooksl'i and theeyes 16 are disengaged from each other the upper door-section 13 may belifted very readily upon the guiderods 3 without any tendency to bindand 3 there is sufficiently free play to allow the corners of thesection 13 to be lifted alternately instead of simultaneously. The upperedge of the section 13 is also provided with hooks 21, preferablymounted on the outer face of the section 13 in such a manner that whenthe upper section 13 is lifted to its topmost position the hooks 21 willautomatically engage the eyes 22, which are secured at the top of thedoor-opening and on the inside of the 40 car, said engagement providinga hinge upon which the upper section 13 may be freely swung, the linkedengagement between the section 13 and. the guide-rods 3 allowing asufficient play to permit the upper section 13 to be swung upward to ahorizontal plane while supported at one end by the hinges formed by thehooks 21. and eyes 22. The upper section 13 is then held in thisposition by a weighted hook 23, (shown in detail in Fig. 12,) said hookbeing so weighted that its normal tendency is to swing in the directionof the door, so that the jolting of the car will have no tendency todisengage the lower edge of section 13 from the hook 23.

The lower section 5 is substantially the same as is shown in my priorpatent, No. 724,474, and, as shown in the drawings, it is provided withthe fixtures shown in said Patent No. 724,474, whereby it is slidablymounted upon the guide-rods 3. As it is lifted to its topmost positionthe eyes of the pivoted pins 12 turn over the shoulders 24 formed on theguide-rods 3, Figs. 3, 4, 5, so that the pins 12 rest upon the top ofsaid shoulders 24, and the upper edge of the doorsection 5 is thussupported upon a pair of hinges. It will be noted in this connectionthat the linked connection between the upper door-section 13 and theguide-rods 3 is such that with the upper door-section 13 swung up out ofthe way neither the door-section 13 nor its connecting-links willinterfere with the swingin upward of the lower door-section 5, althoughboth door sections are mounted. upon the same guide-rods. The lowerdoorsection 5 is then swun to a substantially horizontal planeimmediately below the upper door-section 13 and is supported in thisposition by the guide-pins 12, resting upon the shoulders 24 of theguide-rods 3, and by a swinging hook 25, which is supported by one ofthe roof-timbers of the car. Obviously in a device of this sort thereshould be no nice fit between the lower edge of the door-section 5 andthe hook 25, and yet with the constant jolting of the car there is acontinuous tendency to jolt the door-section 5 upwardly, and thus out ofengagement with the hook 25. To overcome this tendency, I provide thehook 25 with an arm 25, which, as shown, projects substantially in ahorizontal direction. I also cut away the hook 25 at the junctionbetween the arm 25 and the main body of the hook, so that the extremelower edge of the door 5 will not when jolted upwardly strike any partof the hook 25, but the surface of the door a short distance from itslower edge will strike the arm 25, so that every time the door is joltedupwardly it will strike the arm 25*, thereby causing the hook 25 totravel inwardly, or toward the door, as far as the temporarily-raisedposition of the door will permit. By thus causing the hook to follow thedoor whenever the door is jolted upwardly I avoid any possibility of thehook swinging in the Wrong direction.

The practical feature which must be considered in this art is that themen handling these cars will not always operate the parts in the mannerin which they are designed to be operated, so that in handling an emptycar it might well happen that a careless operator would drop the upperdoorsection 13 downwardly and inside of the lower door-section 5 insteadof securing it in position under the roof of the car, as should be done.If any of the ordinary connections be used between the upperdoor-section 13 and the guide-rods 3, the result of this action will beto leave the door-section 13 projecting inwardly into the car at anangle and in such a manner as to bring a seriously objectionable strainupon the connecting parts; but with the door-sec tion 13 connected tothe guide-rods in the manner shown the door-section 13 is free to dropbehind the door-section 5 in the manner shown in Fig. 5.

In lifting the grain-door it is a matter of common knowledge that thepressure and friction of the stationary body of grain against IOC IIO

the grain-door make it difficult and at times impossible to lift thedoor but it is a peculiar fact that if an opening be made near the loweredge of the door, so as to allow some of the grain to escape, themovement of the grain will so lessen the friction between the door andthe grain that the door can be lifted with comparative ease. Variousdevices have been made to permit of the escape of the grain through thelower portion of the door, and for this purpose I provide averticallyslidable door or slide 26, arranged on the outer face of thedoor 5 and provided with a handle 27. Across the outerface of the lowerdoor-section 5 is a horizontal-cleat or flange 28, forming the upperside of a square, the other sides of which are formed by guidestrips 29and 31 and a flange 30. Secured to the outer face of these strips andoverlapping the inner edges of the same are metallic strips 32, 33, and34, providing overhanging flanges, between which and the outer face ofthe door 5 is slidably fitted the slide 26, which nor mally rests uponthe flange 30 and closes an escapeo pening through the door-section 5.This simply-constructed, strong, and easilyoperated slide 26 may bereadily slid upward against the cleat 28, which serves as a stop,

whereupon the opening through the lower door-section 5 is uncovered andthe grain immediately behind the door-section 5 begins to escape.

35 represents hooks pivotally secured to the door-frame and arranged tohold the upper edge of section 13 in vertical position, as shown in Fig.3.

It will be seen that by the device described I not only provide per se asectional door so constructed and fitted that the upper and lowersections may be locked together so as to constitute, in effect, anunbroken solid door, but which may, nevertheless, be separated into itssections, which may be separately operated, but I also provide thefurther features which are necessary to the practical success of such adoorto wit, suitable separate connections between the door-sections andthe guiding means, whereby each section may be readily operatedindependently of the other and without interfering with the other, maybe separately swung up and secured out of the way, so that with onlythelower door-section in place the car may be freely loaded and unloaded,and also so mounted with relation to each other that the two sectionsmay be mounted upon the same guiding means, may, when not in use, beseparately swung up out of the way and secured to the roof of the carwithout interfering with each other, and without any parts soconstructed as to be readily damaged by any unintelligent operation ofthe door. In this connection it will be noted:

First. That the center of the eye upon the attachment 18 (side Fig. 8)is preferably arranged directly opposite the center of the guidingqod 3.

Second. That the side of said eye immediately adjacent to the guidingrod 3 is straight and not circular. I have found by experiment that if acircular eye be used then when the upper door-section is liftedirregularly, first one side and then the other, as it most always is,the link 19 will tend to re main at one point in the eyeto wit, thatpoint nearest to the guide-rod 3-with a consequent tendency to bind andto kink and to very materially interfere with the easy operation of th:'s awkward and heavy door. On the other hand, with the construction shownin Fig. 8 the link 19 will quickly and readily work laterally from oneside to the other of said eye, thereby adapting itself to varyingpositions of the door 13 and eliminating all tendency of the linkconnection between the casting 18 and the rod 3 to bind or kink,especially when the door is being lifted over the shoulders 24 at theupper end of the guiderods 3.

Third. It will be noted that by connecting the casting 18 with theguide-rod 3 by means of two links, one of whichis elongated, not onlymay the door-section 13 be safely dropped over the door section 5 intothe position shown in Fig. 5 without any injurious strain upon thedoor-section 13, but when the door sections are swung up under theceiling of the car this link connection permits the doorsection 13sufficient play to allow it to swing upwardly to a horizontal positionwhile supported at one end upon the hinge formed by the hooks 21 andeyes 22 and entirely out of the way of the door-section 5 and itsconnections, notwithstanding the fact that the door-section 5 and thedoor-section 13 are mounted upon the same guide-rods 3.

Fourth. Furthermore, this arrangement of links allows of the freemovement vertically of the door-section 13 upon the guide-rods 3 withoutany tendency to bind upon the guide-rods 3.

Fifth. It will be seen that the hooks 21 are mounted so that their freeends project outwardly from the outer face of the door-section 13 andtheir upper surfaces are curved, so that as the door-section 13 islifted upon the guide-rods 3 when the upper faces of the hooks 21 comein contact with the under sur face of the eyes 22 there will be acam-like action, whereby the upper edge of the door section 13 will becarried inwardly as the upper forward surfaces of the hooks 21 ride overthe eyes 22 until the free ends of the hooks 21 engage the eyes 22.Here, again, the link con nection between the door-section 13 and theguide-rods 3 permits of sufficient play to allow of this automatichooking of the door-section 13 upon the eyes 22.

Sixth. Furthermore, the devices for holding the doors in their elevatedpositions are so constructed as to automatically swing to lockingposition, so as to automatically remain in locked position.

I claim 1. The combination with a car-door and a vertical guide-rod, ofconnections between the door and the guide-rod, said connectionscomprising an arm secured to the door and extending outwardly therefromand opposite to the guide-rod, said arm being provided with an eye inthe portion thereof extending opposite to said guide-rod, the side ofsaid eye adjacent to the guide-rod being straight, a link looselyengaging said eye, and a second link engaging said first link andslidably engaging said guid erod.

2. The combination with a car-door, of a vertical guide-rod, andconnections between the car-door and guide-rod, said connectionscomprising an arm secured to the door and projecting outwardly therefromand opposite to the guide-rod, said arm being provided with an eye, around link engaging said eye, an elongated link engaging said round linkand slidably engaging said guide-rod.

3. The combination with a car, of a door comprising separable upper andlower sections, vertical guiding means mounted upon said car, slidableconnections between the lower door-section and the vertical guidingmeans, and vertically-slidable connections between the guiding means andthe upper door-section, said last-named connections comprising an armmounted upon the upper door-section and provided with an eye,

a link engaging said. eye, and an elongated link engaging saidfirst-named link and slidably engaging said guiding means.

4. An attachment for car-doors comprising an arm adapted to be mountdupon a car door and provided with an eye having the side thereof nearestthe ear-door flattened, a link engaging said eye, and a second linkengaging said first link and adapted to be slid ably mounted uponguiding means.

5. An attachment for car-doors, comprising an elongated link adapted tobe slidably mounted upon guiding means, a short link loosely engagingsaid elongated link, an arm adapted to be mounted upon a car-door, andprovided with a semicircular eye engaging said shorter link, said eyebeing so arranged that the flat side thereof will be nearest to theguiding means when the attachment is mounted in operative position.

6. The combination with a car provided with a door-opening, ofdoor-posts arranged one on each side of said opening, the inner face ofeach door-post being provided with a rabbeted channel, verticall-arranged guiderods mounted one upon each of said. posts and opposite tothe rabbet in the post, each guide-rod being formed with a shoulderadjacent to its upper end, a door adapted to said door-opening andcomprising upper and lower sections, separable means for locking saiddoor sections together, connections whereby each door-section isslidably mounted upon each of said guide-rods so as to be independentlymovable thereon, the connections between the upper door-section and theguide-rods comprising a pair of arms mounted one adjacent to each of theupper corners of the upper door-section and extending outwardly oppositeto the adjacent guide-rod, each arm being provided with. a semicirculareye, the flat side of which is nearest to the guide-rod, a short linkloosely engaging the eye, an elongated link engaging the short link andengaging the guide-rod, means for hingingly securing the upper edge ofthe upper door-section to the roof of the car, and means for supportingthe lower edges of both door-sections adjacent to the roof of the car,substantially as described.

EDXVARD A. HILL.

Witnesses:

OTTO R. BARNETT, M. E. SHIELDS.

